It cannot be an easy question to study. After all, everyone's sex drive, background, and relationship situations are different. Some people would like to have it all day every day, and others are not interested at all (hey there, asexuals: I see you). But does it really mean anything?

Well, according to The Telegraph, American and South Korean researchers determined that sexual activity may boost cognitive function — if you're a mouse or rat. Whether this holds true for humans remains to be seen. But is this proof that going without sex makes you dumber?

Well, not entirely. But there are some potential psychological affects that may come along with a lack of sex. You may want to keep these in mind the next time you find yourself going without it for a month or so. Just remember: there are no super serious side effects, so you don't have to start scheduling sex like a dentist's appointment.

Increased Risk of Depression

File this under strange but potentially true fact: semen may help you ward off depression. Well, provided you and your partner are fluid bonded. According to a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, women who regularly had sex without condoms reported increased depression scores the longer they went without sex. So going without sex just might cause your brain to go into depression mode.

Relationship Insecurity

If you and your partner are normally sexual, then going without for a month or more can let the seeds of doubt take root. As Les Parrott, PhD, psychologist, said in Prevention, "going without sex in a marriage can deliver a hit to your self-esteem, engender guilt, and decrease levels of oxytocin and other bonding hormones." It can mess with your sense of self as well as your security in the relationship.

Better Mood

Going without sex will affect different people in vastly different ways. For instance, around one-third of women may experience what's known as postcoital dysphoria, or feelings of sadness following sex, as noted in Health. Avoiding sex for a month would prevent this from occurring, although you may want to chat about it with your doctor if it's interfering with your daily life.